Sarah Broyles James Grayham

Cousin Dwight found some documents of Grahams in Washington Co. MO.  The first is a law suit involving Sarah Broyles Graham, window of James Graham who is suing Israel McGready of Greene Co, TN for the slave Sam:

County of Washington November Term 1821
Sarah Graham administrating full and singular the goods and challets, rights, **** and effects of James Graham, deceased, by her attorney over claims of Israel McGready of a ****, that he under to the said Sarah administrating as aforementioned a certain negro man named Sam, about thirty three years of age, & about five feet five inches high, of great value, to wit, of the value of six hundred dollars of lawful money of the respected States, which he unjustly retains from her. For that whereas the said Sarah heretofore, to wit, on the first day of September last, at Washington aforesaid, was unjustfully ***** of a certain negro man named Sam, about thirty three years of age and about five fee five inches high, of great value, to wit, of the value of six hundred dollars of lawful money of the United States, as of the property of James Graham deceased, in his capacity of administrating as aforementioned, and being so predisposed thereof, she the said Sarah afterwards, to wit, on the day and year aforementioned at the county aforesaid, casually lost the said negro out of her protection, and the same aftermath, to wit, on the said first day of September last at the county aforementioned came to the protection of the said Israel by finding; yet the said Israel well knowing the said negro to be the just property of the said Sarah in her capacity of administrating aforementioned, and of right to belong and appertain to her, in such capacity, hath and as right **** the said Negro to the said Sarah after requested so to do, but hath hitherto wholly refused to do, and hath retained, and still doth retain the said Negro from the said Sarah, to wit, at Washington aforesaid. To the damages of the said Sarah causing of six hundred dollars, and therefore she requests of.
Thomas J. Brickey

This is significant because it shows that this Graham family was in Washington Co. Mo. in the early 1800's.  Coupled with DNA showing that I and another 5th cousin are related to members of the Broyles family, show a probably relationship with them.  This Graham family had also married into the McCarrell family and into the Long family (not sure yet if it is the Bromfield or Ware Long famiy though---both were from Culpeper) Other documents make another connection---lead mines.

Lead Mining and William Graham

We haven't made much headway in figuring out where William Graham is from and who his parents are, but we feel we are making some progress.  We have known for some time that he was involved in Lead.  Click here for an earlier post on his lead business

William Graham's Jefferson County Farm

As Dwight says, the Graham farm was in the heart of lead mining.  Click here for a court case involving William Graham with mining being the topic.  Click here for what the area to the right looks like today.

Nearby in Washington County, Mo were Grahams also in the lead mining industry. Click here for a document on that area.  Note that it mentions Moses Austin who is buried in Potosi, Mo (capital of Missouri's leadbelt)  which is in Washington Co. not far from the Graham farm in Jefferson County. Moses Austin went broke in Wythe County, VA and fled to the other major lead district which was in Missouri. After that time, the Major Robert Graham family of Wythe County VA became the dominate lead mining family in the USA. Is it possible that they sent one of their poorer relatives to Washington County MO to work with Moses Austin?

We do know William Graham lived in Knox County, TN before coming to MO because he was involved in a lawsuit there.  The lawsuit was for infringement on property between James McCarrell, Wm Graham and B. McGhee against McClellan. Click here for the link to the document.

Dwight hypothesizes: "I always asked, what does Barclay McGhee have to do with this...

When I learned last week that he had a Ferry business, I put 1+x, together in an algebraic equation and solved for x. Margaret McCarrell told me that there were two lawsuits between the two parties for infingement (I have only seen one). One that we won, and one the other side (McClellan) won. Interestingly, she said the lands were across the river from each other". And this was also possibly lead country.  The ferry that Barclay McGhee operated was out of Vonore or Von (from) Ore when one of the town leaders renamed it with hopes they would become a mining town.

So, we are going to try to follow the Lead Belt to find our roots, or we may just let DNA help us out thanks to a cousin we have located in Canada!